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Well. She kind of was, she guessed. She’d agreed with him when he’d asked if she had a medical reason for not talking when there wasn’t exactly one . . . it was more that she was fucked up.
But she couldn’t tell him that. Because it was humiliating. Because it meant telling him about the past. Because she knew he’d turn away from her.
So instead of trying to communicate the whole fucked up mess inside her head, she shrugged.
His shoulders tightened and he turned away, his jaw tense. He didn’t want to know. He was just here to do a job.
“Juliet?”
The irritated voice of her boss broke through her morose thoughts. She jumped with a gasp and felt Brick stiffen beside her.
“Who the hell is this?” Darin demanded, coming into the break room where she’d been stashing her handbag into her locker. She slipped her phone into her pocket. Technically, they weren’t supposed to have their phones on them. But everyone did.
“I’m her bodyguard, Brick. And watch your language when you’re talking to Juliet.”
Darin’s cheeks went a blotchy red at Brick’s firm reprimand. She sighed. No doubt he thought he was helping. But he wasn’t the one who had to work with Darin once she no longer had bodyguards. He could be a vindictive little creepazoid.
“I thought that other guy was her bodyguard.”
“He is. She has more than one.”
Darin’s eyes narrowed to slits. He already looked like a weasel. Now, he looked like a weasel sucking on a lemon. “Juliet, I’d like to see you in my office. Alone.”
“Not happening,” Brick said.
“Brick, was it?” Darin sneered. Today he was dressed in a waistcoat which just seemed to emphasize his pot belly. And the small amount of hair he had was slicked over his bald spot in an awful-looking combover. Whatever he used made the top of his head all greasy, so whenever he was under a fluorescent light, he almost glowed. “This is a private conversation. As Juliet’s employer, I’m going to have to insist on speaking to her on her own.”
Brick crossed his arms over his chest.
With a sigh, she grabbed her phone out.
There’s a window. You can see in. He’s a dick, but he won’t hurt me.
“What did she say?” Darin demanded.
“If she wanted you to know, she’d tell you,” Brick replied.
She wasn’t sure if that was more of a jibe at her or at Darin. Although the way he glared at her boss, she was guessing it was aimed mostly at Darin. Still, she felt a mix of sadness and defeat mingling inside her. Maybe she should have gone home. Called in sick or something. She certainly felt nauseous. Rubbing her stomach, she followed Darin the dick, into his office.
Brick stood outside but kept an eye through the window.
“Charming, isn’t he?” Darin sneered.
Feeling brave with a door between him and Brick, was he? She had to hide her grin. She was confident that Brick could take Darin with one hand tied behind his back. And Darin knew that too.
“Where is the other bodyguard? I didn’t give approval for all these bodyguards coming in and out of the library, Juliet. Just how many do you need, anyway? What kind of trouble are you in?”
She just stared at him, waiting for him to get to the point.
“Because if it’s something that could endanger my patrons, I’m going to have to ask you to take a leave of absence. I’m responsible for the safety of all the patrons and staff who work here. So, I’m sure you understand.”
That sick feeling in her stomach grew.
It wasn’t that she loved this job. She didn’t. Gladys and Darin did their best to make it a crappy place to work. And while she mostly did shelving and research, there was still interaction with the public, which stressed her out.
But if she lost this job, she knew she wouldn’t find another. Not without Reuben’s help, and she wanted to rely on Reuben as little as possible. For both of their sakes.
Losing this job would unsettle her routine even more than it had been. She couldn’t handle that.
